Absolution
by Nora Winters
Summary: Family doesn't require blood relationship. Sometimes it's where you find it. Sometimes it's too much, but it is there when you need it.
1. Chapter 1

**PART ONE: The First Thanksgiving**

The two men tramped through the brush, shotguns tucked in their arms, while the dog coursed ahead, casting this way and that for the elusive scent. They didn't speak much. They didn't need to. They had been together so long that they knew what each other was thinking and could communicate more in a look than anyone could imagine. It was a fine hunting day; there had been a light frost and some mist earlier, but the frost had burned off and the mist lifted as the morning progressed. Neither man was noticing the fine day, however.

The light-haired man stole a glance at his silent, darker companion, and sighed slightly. He noticed that his friend's dark hair was more gray than dark these days and that his eyes were hooded. He knew that he, too, was beginning to show his age, finally after all these years of people thinking him younger than he actually was. And what years they had been for two old friends, partners, closer than most family really. They had drifted for years, wandering the West before they met two sisters, Ruth and Esther, and settled down. Hard to believe it after their years of roaming, of never getting involved, but they had both fallen hard for the girls. In their drifting days, they had done things they weren't too proud of, but all that had ended long ago, even before meeting Ruth and Esther. These settled years had been good to them, no more wandering; now they had a home and families. They shared the ranch, and he and Ruth had been blessed with little Clementine and Joshua. His partner and Esther were expecting their first.

He knew they had a lot to be thankful for, but this year he just couldn't find it in his heart to believe it, and he knew his friend wasn't feeling very thankful either. This year had been hard. First, there had been the long, cold winter that had strained the stock, and they'd lost too many. Then came the brush fire that destroyed most of their best grazing. They'd had to sell off most of their remaining herd at terrible prices. The railroads had gouged them on the freight to ship the cattle - well that figured, never did like the railroads. Then the worst thing, Ruthie had lost little Aaron. It had been almost six months now, and she was still grieving. Finally, they'd had to let the ranch hands go. Now, too many chores fell on Clem and Josh. And they'd been out for three hours already and not a sign of a bird. Yeah, not much to be thankful for this year, he thought. Somehow it just didn't seem fair.

"What do you say we give up and head back? It's getting late."

"No, not yet," his partner responded. "I promised the girls we'd get some birds for tomorrow's dinner. Ruthie, well it would give Ruthie something else to think about. And Esther, I haven't told you this, she doesn't want to say anything to upset Ruthie, but I know she's scared that she'll lose her baby too. We have to bring something back; we have to turn things around somehow."

"Okay, another hour then we need to get back, or they'll start worrying about us."

So they tramped on, tense now and worried, each lost in his thoughts. Suddenly the dog froze and went on point. They glanced at each other, raised their shotguns, and gave a low whistle. The dog nosed forward cautiously and poked at the bush. Three partridges sprang into the air, the shotguns blasted, almost drowning out three sharp cracks, and all three birds plummeted to the ground, out of sight behind a small stand of trees. The dog barked and gave chase. The men followed more slowly, taking their time, smiling slightly, knowing that they now had a Thanksgiving dinner to bring home.

When they came around the little stand of trees, however, they pulled up abruptly. The dog stood guard over the birds, but there were two men, boys really, standing there trying to get around the dog.

"Go get a stick; I'll stay here and make sure he don't eat them," the dark-haired one urged his blond companion. The other turned to comply, then saw the men emerge from around the trees, and swung back to line up next to his friend.

"Don't do it, boy; those are our birds."

The blond spoke, "No, sir, they're not, at least not two of them. See only one's been hit by a shotgun; we shot the others," and he pointed out their six-guns.

"Don't be ridiculous, boy, can't nobody shoot partridges in flight with a six-gun. We should know; my partner here is mighty handy with a gun."

The dark-haired boy, who appeared to be the older of the two, spoke up. "He can, and he did." Then he turned to his companion, "You're real good with that gun; we'll eat well tonight."

His friend responded, "Na, you can shoot too. See you winged that one."

Again the boys moved to retrieve the partridges, but stopped short at the sound of two shotguns being reloaded and cocked.

The older, dark-haired man pointed his shotgun at the two of them and spoke, "I said those are our birds. Our families need them, and we will have them. You two go home."

The younger boy's blue eyes turned to ice as he glared at the men, "We told you, you shot one bird, and we shot two. Now we aim to have our birds." His hand tightened on the gun, and he lifted it slightly. His companion reached out and patted his shoulder, his eyes dark and thunderous. "It's okay; we can get us a couple other birds. Let's go." He turned away, pulling his friend with him.

"We can't get a couple more birds; I don't have any more bullets. It ain't fair! It ain't right!"

"Who said life was fair for the likes of us? When has it ever been fair _to_ us? Now, I've got two more bullets; you can have them; that'll be enough. And if it isn't, well then we can get to the next town and maybe get some stew and hoe cakes. You know you like hoe cakes. Maybe we've even got enough for a hotel room for a night."

"No. That money is to buy you new boots; you know you need boots, and we ain't found a hotel yet that will give us a room anyway."

"Well, then we can use the money to get into a poker game. You know I'm pretty good at that, as good as you are at shooting. Maybe we can double or triple it even, then we'd have enough for boots and food, and we'd spend the night somewhere warm, even if it is just a saloon."

The two men examined the boys as this conversation went on, then glanced at each other. The boys were scruffy, their hair too long, their clothes too small, worn, and ripped. They both had pinched expressions and were too thin, thinner even than boys at that age ought to be. The men looked down at the older boy's boots. They were about worn out and the sides had been split to allow too-big feet to continue to wear them. The men sighed and lowered their shotguns.

"Hold up there boys."

"Why? All's we got is three dollars and fifty-seven cents; you gonna steal that, too?" the dark-haired boy stormed at them as the two turned back.

"What are you two boys doing out here anyway? Where're your parents?"

"Dead, and what's it to you?" the dark-haired boy challenged them.

"Who takes care of you?"

"We take care of each other just fine."

"Yeah, we can see that," the older man replied dryly. He looked at his partner and the two held a silent conversation.

"Tell you what, why don't you come back with us and spend the night with our families, and we'll all share the birds tomorrow. Maybe we can find you some boots and a coat or two."

"We don't need charity."

"It ain't charity. We all have a dispute about the birds. Now my partner and I had to let our ranch hands go; we can't pay you, but perhaps if you would stay and help us out for a few months, maybe through the winter say, we could give you room and board – a place to sleep and food – and maybe manage to rustle up some clothes and such in exchange for your labor. In fact, we'd be honored to have two who can shoot as well as you two stay with us for a while. What do you say?"

The two boys looked at each other and held a silent conversation. The men noticed some of the despair leave their eyes and their slouches straighten as they absorbed the words. They shrugged then turned back to the men.

"Okay, deal," the darker, older one stated for both of them, and he held out his hand. His younger companion hesitated a moment longer then held out his hand as well.

"What're your names, boys?"

"Heyes,"

"That's all?"

"Yeah, just Heyes and this here's my partner, Jed Curry."

The dark-haired man gave a short laugh, "Well, Just Heyes and Jed Curry, I'm Nate Rembacker and this is my partner, John Hotchkiss. Nice to meet you, now let's go get something to eat."

As the four headed back the way the two men had come, they noticed what a lovely day it was. Maybe there was something to be thankful for after all this year.


	2. Part Two: Candling

**PART TWO: Candling**

Jed Curry walked into the kitchen with a bucket of water and stopped, transfixed. Mrs. Hotchkiss had pulled the curtains shut so that the room was in shadows. She was seated in front of a shuttered lantern with two bowls on the table beside her and one full of eggs in her lap. The lantern was shaded in such a manner that all the light focused through a narrow opening. As he watched, she held an egg up to the light and peered closely at it, then put it in one of the bowls before repeating the exercise with the next egg. A look of longing entered the young man's face.

Heyes walked in with an armload of firewood and bumped into Curry, dropping the wood. "Jed!" he exclaimed. "What are you doing standing there like a lump? You're blocking…" His voice dropped off and his face whitened as he took in the scene.

Mrs. Hotchkiss looked up startled and saw the two young men staring at her. She colored slightly, but wondered what it was that was causing the anguished and longing expressions on their young faces. These two men, boys really, that her husband and his best friend had brought home over Thanksgiving had wormed their way into her heart over the past few months. Both reserved, except with each other, both wary, but willing and eager to help out and pathetically grateful for the small kindnesses, such as the clothes, boots, and food they had received in exchange for their help around the ranch. Neither spoke of their past, and her husband had warned her not to pry, but it was clear that life had been hard on them. They were in many ways mature beyond their years, but in others the boys in them came out.

"Boys, what's wrong?" she asked. "I'm just candling eggs. It means I can…"

"Yes, ma'am," Curry answered. "We know what candlin' is. My Ma taught us."

Heyes gave a groan, muttered "Aunt Grace," then picked up the wood he had dropped, and hurried into the other room. They could hear him setting it down by the fireplace and slamming his way out the door. Curry looked after him.

"He doesn't like to talk about it," Curry explained with a trace of sadness. "He says it doesn't do any good to remember, that nothin' can change what happened, and we just have to move on with our lives, but sometimes I lie awake at night and think about my Ma and Pa and my family," he confided to her. "Well, I better go find him." He turned and slowly walked back out the door.

Mrs. Hotchkiss gazed after him. That was the most personal thing either had offered in the months the boys had lived at the ranch. She wondered what had happened to his family and why young Heyes was so bothered by it.

**~~~oOo~~~**

That night, after supper, after the children had gone to bed, and Heyes and Curry had headed back to the bunkhouse where they slept, the adults sat around the fire, laughing and talking.

There was a lull in conversation. Ruth spoke, "This afternoon, I had the strangest experience with our two young men. I was candling the eggs and first Jed came in and stopped short staring at me and looking sad but also happy. Then Heyes came in and turned very pale before hurrying past us and out the door. Jed said that his mother had taught them about candling and that Heyes doesn't like to talk about Jed's family. I wonder what happened to them."

Nate Rembacker spoke up. "Yes, I've often wondered what their story is. But there are many terrible things that have happened out there, and it's not so long after the war. Many were displaced by that. Who knows? If it upsets them so, we mustn't pry."

His wife, Esther, mused, "I've noticed that Heyes won't look at little Bridget here." They all paused to look at her two-month old daughter sleeping peacefully in the cradle by them - - the symbol of hope and renewal for the four of them after a hard year. "Even Jed seems to avoid saying her name. I wonder..."

The four sat quietly for a while, each lost in his or her thoughts.

"Well, I've noticed that Heyes and Jed are getting resty as spring comes. There's a look in their eyes – wanderlust is setting in. I suspect they'll be leaving soon. Maybe I'll send them out to check and mend fences in the far fields; that might shake out some of their fidgets and slow their departure."

"Oh, I hate to think of them leaving and going out on their own, they're so young!" Ruth exclaimed.

"They are not that young and they are old for their years," Nate replied. "Those boys have done some serious growing and we won't be able to convince them to stay." The other three nodded acceptance of this reality.

**~~~oOo~~~**

Several nights later, Heyes and Curry sat around the camp fire they had built. They were tired; they had been working hard mending the fences and were just about done. One more day and they would return to the Hotchkiss/Rembacker homestead.

Heyes finished his coffee and lay back, his hands behind his head. "I love this time of day, the light, how everything turns golden as the sun sets. I read somewhere it's called the gloaming. That seems like a good word for it."

Jed looked over at his friend, opened his mouth to speak, then closed it, hesitated, then opened it again, "Heyes, what is really botherin' you? You haven't been the same since we saw Mrs. Hotchkiss candlin' those eggs."

"Nothing's bothering me, Jed. How many calves do you think there will be this spring?"

"Don't change the subject. I think I know; you said "Aunt Grace," when you saw Mrs. Hotchkiss, and I saw Ma too then."

"Ah, Jed, we've been over this. It does no good to think about them, just makes us remember all we lost that day."

"Heyes, I don't know if that's right. Sometimes when you're asleep, I remember Ma and Pa and my brothers and sister, and your folks, and Grandpa and it makes them seem closer somehow - like they're still here somewhere."

Heyes sighed and sat up. He wouldn't look at Jed but sat there picking up pebbles and flinging them away. "Don't," he said harshly then was silent.

Curry just sat looking at Heyes.

"Jed, all that is gone. I can't think of them without seeing them that day: the blood… my mother…" He trailed off. He took a deep breath and resumed, "I couldn't believe it when they named Mrs. Rembacker's little girl Bridget. That should have been my sister, Jed!" He cried, anguished.

Jed remembered how excited his aunt and uncle had been when they had realized that his aunt was expecting. They had picked out the names for a boy or a girl – James if it was a boy and Bridget if it was a girl. Heyes had been excited and scared about not being an only child anymore. But being in the family way hadn't stopped the raiders; they had still killed her. He looked at his friend now and saw the effort it was taking him to avoid crying or screaming, or reacting in any way to the memories of that day.

He stood up as the last rays of the sun disappeared and put more wood on the fire. "Okay, Heyes. I have to say, fixin' fences is no fun. I don't think I want to be a rancher after all; it's too hard on the back. What should we do?"

"Well, I don't rightly know." Heyes answered, grateful for the change in subject. "But it's getting warmer, and the days are getting longer. Maybe it's time we were making our way so we can make our fortunes."

"Yeah, maybe it is," Curry agreed. "Let's head towards Colorado and see what we can find. Maybe we could be scouts or buffalo hunters."

"Sounds good. I bet we'll be rich in no time; after all we're older now and better able to take care of ourselves."

"We are indeed. I bet we will be rich in just a few months, Heyes," Jed laughed.

**~~~oOo~~~**

Two weeks later, the boys left the ranch. They were not the scruffy, ragged boys who had first come in November. Mrs. Hotchkiss and Mrs. Rembacker had made them each two shirts and had fitted them with two pairs of their husband's pants, with deep cuffs so they could keep growing into them. Mr. Hotchkiss had given them each a new pair of boots and Mr. Rembacker had provided them with a good supply of bullets for the guns they still carried. Finally, all four had given them two horses and saddles to see them on their way.

Nate, John, Ruth, Esther, and the children watched until the horses were out of sight.

"Oh, John, what will become of them?" Ruth asked her husband.

"Those two are resourceful, and they're survivors, Ruth. I think they'll do just fine and I don't think we could keep them here after that day they saw you candling."

"I'm so sorry."

It was Esther who turned to her sister. "You're not responsible. Those boys would have left at some point. We're not their family and they wouldn't let anyone replace their family. I think that the closer we got, the more likely it was they would leave."

"I suppose you're right Esther."

"I usually am." She grinned. All four laughed and went back to their lives.

As they rode, Heyes and Curry bickered in a friendly manner about where they would go and what they would do. The road stretched before them, and they took it eagerly in the warm spring sunshine, cares forgotten for a while, in the excitement of the new adventures awaiting them.

_**Author's note**_: For those who don't know, candling involves holding an egg up to a strong light (originally candles) to determine what is happening inside the egg. From the image that shines through the shell, you can tell whether the embryo is developing properly or whether there is no embryo.


	3. Part Three: Absolution

**PART THREE: Absolution**

When he saw the ranch house in the fold of the hills, just over the rise, Kid Curry breathed a sigh of relief. He looked around carefully but saw no one lying in wait for them, or chasing them. The ranch, though small, looked well cared for. Although there was no one out and about that he could see, a small plume of smoke from the chimney indicated someone was home.

Kid Curry considered his options: he was exhausted; days of eluding the posse, then tracking down Heyes and removing the bullet were taking their toll. While he was still conscious, Heyes had agreed it was time to find a town, but the Kid hadn't found a town, just this ranch. Should he chance it, he wondered. He decided he had no choice.

"Hang on, Heyes; hang on," he pleaded, tightening his arm around his partner as he urged the horse forward. He was no longer certain if Heyes was alive or not; he thought he could feel him breathing; he hoped he was not imagining it.

**~~~oOo~~~**

A young woman, maybe seventeen or eighteen years old, opened the door to his knock. Her eyes opened wide as she got a good look at them.

Kid Curry stood, holding Heyes, and nodded. "Sorry to bother you, Miss, but my partner here, met with a bad accident and lost his horse. Mine's done in, so I'm hopin' you would let me put up in your barn while my friend recovers."

Bridget stared at the dirty, scruffy men standing before her. The one talking was covered in old blood, probably that of the man he held. Neither man had shaved in days, and probably had not bathed either she mused as the breeze shifted in her direction. She noted the guns and guessed that the bandages on the unconscious man hid a bullet wound.

"I'm sorry, I don't…" she murmured, fear in her face as she moved to close the door.

Kid Curry reacted swiftly, putting one foot in the door and drawing his gun. "I'm real sorry to do this, Miss, but I have to insist."

As Bridget fell back with a sharp cry, the Kid pushed his way into the room and deposited Heyes on the couch.

"Put that gun down," a woman ordered from behind him.

He turned and saw an older woman, from the resemblance probably the girl's mother, holding a shotgun on him. He raised his hands then frowned as he looked more closely at the woman, wonder beginning to creep into his eyes.

She, in turn, looked at him then down at Heyes on the couch, and her eyes widened in shocked recognition.

"What did you say your names were?" she asked harshly.

Bridget noted the look of recognition that passed between the gunman and her mother, but stayed quiet in the corner.

"I didn't. It's Thaddeus Jones and Joshua Smith," the Kid mumbled, looking down. Then he lifted his head, looked straight at her, and spoke more strongly, though he was strangely pale under the dirt and stubble. "I won't hurt you and won't trouble you more than necessary, but my partner here is hurt and needs help. As soon as he's able, we'll move on and never bother you again."

The Kid and the older woman contemplated each other silently for several moments. Then she nodded and turned to Bridget.

"Bridget, go outside and take their horses to the barn. Take care of them real well and put their saddles and gear out of sight. If anyone comes by asking, the horses belong to our old friends who are visiting, but one fell ill – we fear it may be cholera, so everyone should stay away. Mr. Jones, you may carry Mr. Smith to the bedroom back that way." She put down the shotgun and led the way, without looking back to see if everyone obeyed her.

**~~~oOo~~~**

Bridget watched her mother walk down the hallway to Uncle John's room. Wouldn't he just love that, she thought, an outlaw – for she was sure they must be outlaws – in his bed. Then she hurried to take care of the horses – make that horse, she realized – as she had been told. She didn't want to leave her mother alone with these men too long, although she was beginning to think they would not hurt her.

**~~~oOo~~~**

Kid Curry gently laid Heyes down on the bed that the woman indicated. She had pulled back the covers.

"You get his clothes off and get him settled, and I'll see what medicines and bandages I have to help him," she instructed.

The Kid turned to face her. "Mrs. Rembacker, thank you. If I'd known… If I'd realized… It's been so long. I wouldn't've… I'd never have…" He paused for a moment. "No, I still would have come here; Heyes needs help, and I will do whatever is necessary to get that help."

She looked sternly at him. "Even pulling a gun on a young girl!"

"Whatever necessary," he affirmed, a hard look in his eyes; then the look softened. "But I swear I won't harm you – any of you."

"I suppose it was a posse that shot him. Are they likely to come here?"

He looked somberly at her. "Yes, ma'am, it was a posse, but I think we lost them yesterday. When they shot him, Heyes and his horse fell off the path into a river down a ways. They probably think he's dead." He looked down at Heyes, pale, a sheen of perspiration on his forehead, unconscious, and his breathing labored. "I thought he was dead," the Kid whispered.

Esther's eyes softened slightly as she watched the Kid stare down at Heyes. She saw something of the boy she had known so briefly that winter Bridget was born.

She and Ruth, dead this past year, and Nate and John had followed the careers of these two young men in the papers. Many times she and Ruth had speculated about what would have happened had they convinced the boys to stay, rather than letting them leave. But right now they seemed as desperately in need of help as they had that Thanksgiving, so many years ago. She would help them again, as she had then – she knew Ruth would have wanted that.

**~~~oOo~~~**

Bridget watered, groomed, and fed the horse. The saddle and gear she stashed with the other tack. She then hesitated, thinking what to do next. She didn't like leaving her mother alone with these two men. They were dangerous. She drew a deep breath, tucked the saddlebag and bedroll behind some bales of hay, and then went to find her father and her Uncle John.

**~~~oOo~~~**

Nate Rembacker and John Hotchkiss entered the house, guns drawn. All seemed quiet; a soup simmered on the stove, and bandages and medical supplies were on the table. They looked at each other in silent communication. When Bridget had run to them with the tale of outlaws in the house, they had listened in shock and growing anger. Luckily they had taken their guns with them while they checked the nearby fields. Unluckily, the two ranch hands were off in the far fields and would not be back for weeks.

They walked quietly down the hall to the door to John's room. At a nod from Nate, John burst in, Nate right behind. "Drop your weapons!" John demanded then drew up short at the sight that met his eyes.

Esther was mopping the brow of a dark-haired man who was twisting and moaning in the bed, his face contorted with pain. By her feet was a basin of dirty water. She looked around quickly. "Hush, you'll disturb him!" she admonished the men. She stood, picked up the basin, and motioned for them to follow her out to the kitchen.

"Where's Bridget?" she asked, once in the kitchen.

"She's in the barn, safe," Nate replied. "She came to us with a tale of two outlaws. I only see one man, and he's not conscious. Where's the other?"

"The other is washing up in the bunkhouse. Now, put down those weapons and don't worry. They won't hurt anyone," she responded, a strange smile on her face.

"Esther, so help me, if you don't tell us what's up, I'll, I'll… Well I don't know what I'll do, but tell us what is going on!" Nate expostulated, although he holstered his weapon, as did John.

"It's our boys, Nate," Esther responded calmly. "Didn't you recognize him? That's Heyes, lying there in bed. He's been shot and thrown off a cliff, and ran some rapids and he's very ill, but I hope - I'm praying - he'll live. Jed's in the bunkhouse cleaning up, but I expect he will hurry back here."

John frowned heavily, "They came here? They thought we would just accept them back, after all this time, after all they've done? I won't have it."

Esther narrowed her eyes and put her hands on her hips, "What won't you have, John Hotchkiss? Ruth would be ashamed of you. These are our boys; we failed them before when we let them go, and they need our help now."

A cleaned up, freshly shaven Kid spoke quietly from behind them, "You didn't fail us. You offered us kindness, somethin' we hadn't seen much of for a while back then. I didn't realize it was your house when I brought Heyes here, sir. It's been so long, and I was focused on gettin' Heyes some help. I'll leave if you insist, but Heyes can't travel with me. I'm askin' you to take care of him until he's well enough to travel, then I'm sure he'll leave as well, and we will never be back."

John and Nate stared back at him. Nate spoke, "What makes you think we won't turn you both in?"

The Kid smiled crookedly, "I'm hopin' you won't for old times' sake." Then his mouth turned down, "but if Heyes don't make it, you should claim the reward for him. It's ten thousand dollars for each of us, dead or alive. I guess once we're dead it don't much matter who claims the reward, but still, I'd rather it's you folks than some others who've tried for it over the years."

Esther made a distressed sound and put her hands to her mouth. The three men continued to regard each other.

Finally, the Kid tipped his hat and stated, "If you don't mind, I need to go check on Heyes while you decide what to do." With that he walked down the hall to Heyes's room and shut the door.

**~~~oOo~~~**

They found him there a few hours later. John carried a lantern for it had grown dark. Nate carried a pitcher and glass. "Barley water," he explained. "Esther thought it would be good for Heyes if you can get him to drink some."

The Kid took it with a nod of thanks. He poured a glass and went over to Heyes, putting his arm behind his shoulder and sitting him up. "Come on, Heyes, you need to drink. Mrs. Rembacker made it special for you," he cajoled the unconscious man and tipped some water into his mouth. A little ran out, but they could see him swallow some. The Kid cajoled more down Heyes's throat. Nate and John watched him quietly.

When he was done, Nate spoke, "Esther would like you to come eat with us. Outside this room we will use the names you gave her, Thaddeus Jones and Joshua Smith. I don't want Bridget to know who you are, or the ranch hands either. You may stay until he can travel. I don't want Bridget in here."

The Kid nodded his acceptance of the rules and, with a last glance to make sure Heyes was settled, followed them into the kitchen to eat.

**~~~oOo~~~**

Supper was a stilted affair. Bridget, sitting between her father and uncle, kept glancing uncertainly at the stranger - Mr. Jones. None of the adults spoke much. Mr. Jones confined himself to eating and responding in monosyllables to the few things said. Her mother kept pressing him to eat more. Her father and Uncle John were brooding about something; it was probably this stranger and his friend. Cleaned up, he didn't look quite as frightening she thought, but she noticed he had dark circles under his eyes, and his hand kept straying to the gun he still wore.

**~~~oOo~~~**

After supper, the Kid excused himself to check on his horse. Nate and John followed him soon thereafter.

They found him in the barn talking to his horse as he groomed it. "I know you're tired; so am I. But you're lucky; you're in a good place. I know these folks; they'll be good to you. We're gonna be here awhile – Heyes is real sick – but they'll take good care of him." The horse snorted and bobbed his head as if he understood what the Kid was saying.

The Kid closed his eyes and leaned his head against the horse's side. "I was crazy; we're crazy, tryin' for this amnesty. What he call it – a chance we never had before – some chance. I remember when we were at the Home, he was readin' some book about a king – King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table it was. They were always on a quest to find the Holy Grail; they kept tryin' but never found it. In the end the quest destroyed them. Maybe the amnesty is our Holy Grail. The Governor is never goin' to give it to us. If Heyes… When Heyes recovers, I'll talk to him; maybe we should give up this quest before it destroys us – just move to South America or somethin'." He stopped talking and resumed brushing, finding comfort in the repetitive motion.

John and Nate looked at each other. John began to speak, to let the Kid know that they were there, but Nate shook his head and motioned John to leave with him.

"Not now," Nate explained when they were outside and out of hearing. "I don't want him to know we heard him, and I need to think about what he said – amnesty."

John nodded his understanding. "And what home was he talking about? Not their families' homes, I'd guess."

"Mustta been before we knew them. Those two sure had a hard upbringing. Still they made the choices they made and have to abide by the consequences."

"Yeah, but remember, Nate, we made some pretty bad choices in the past, too. We just got lucky in the end." Nate looked at his old friend, absorbing his words.

**~~~oOo~~~**

The Kid and Esther fought for Heyes' life. For days, Esther and the Kid worked to keep the fever down, and to control Heyes' thrashing in his delirium. They needed to keep him as quiet as possible so that he wouldn't reopen the bullet wound.

The morning of the third day, while Esther was bathing Heyes's forehead with cool well water and the Kid was off washing and shaving, Heyes's eyes opened, although he was not aware of his surroundings. His eyes roamed around the room. "Kid, Kid," he cried, growing more anxious.

Esther took his hand and spoke quietly, "It's alright, Hannibal, you're home. Nothing can harm you now."

Heyes looked at her blankly for a moment, his brow furrowed. Then he snatched his hand back and stared, searching wildly and crying, "Home? No! It's gone. Burned… it's all burned. So much blood… They're dead! Oh, God! … Jed! Jed!"

The Kid rushed into the room and moved past Esther. "I'll take care of him," he whispered to Esther as he began patting Heyes's hand. "It's okay, Han, I'm here. I'm right here."

As Esther paused in the doorway, Heyes gave a start and grabbed the hand that was patting his. "Jed, they're dead. They're all dead. It's just you and me now…"

"Yeah, Han - just you and me - partners."

"I'll take care of you, Jed."

"I know, partner; you always do – we take care of each other."

Heyes settled down back into sleep. The Kid stood looking at him, lost in his memories. Esther watched them for a moment longer then left, quietly closing the door behind her.

**~~~oOo~~~**

Esther sat at her kitchen table, shaken by what she had heard. Nate, entering through the back door, found her sitting there, staring at the curtains in the window, tears on her cheeks.

"What's wrong?" he asked. "Joshua? He didn't…"

She started and mopped her eyes. "No, he's still delirious but improving. It's just…" She paused and thought back to what she'd heard. "Oh, Nate, he was remembering, remembering when they lost their families, I guess. He was talking wildly about burning and blood, then he just kept saying "they're dead, they're all dead" and crying for Jed. When he got there – Jed, Thaddeus I mean – when he got there he was able to calm Joshua down, but I think they were both remembering when they were young – too young to be all they had left, just each other."

Nate sat holding Esther and thinking. "Given their ages, it must have been during the war. I suppose their families were killed in some battle, or raid, or something. So many terrible things happened in that war. But lots of folks had terrible things happen to them during that war, many did things they would never have thought of doing but for war, and few of them became outlaws afterwards."

**~~~oOo~~~**

The following morning, Heyes opened his eyes to find a tired pair of blue eyes regarding him with satisfaction. He smiled. "Hey, partner."

"Heyes."

"What hap…" Heyes went to sit up, then fell back wincing, his hand going to his wounded shoulder. "Oh, yeah. I got shot… again." He looked around the bedroom. "We got away?"

The Kid grinned. "Yeah, we got away. You decided to become a cliff diver and tried to ride the rapids on your horse. You confused the posse so much that I was able to get away. Not one of your better plans though."

Heyes chuckled weakly. "It worked." He looked around. "Where are we, Kid – Thaddeus?"

"Kid's okay in this room, but anywhere else it should be Thaddeus. You won't believe where we are."

At that moment Esther walked into the room. Heyes looked at her, puzzled. She seemed familiar to him, but in his still befuddled state he couldn't place her. He looked back and forth between Esther and the Kid.

"I'm glad to see you're feeling better this morning, Heyes. You've had us worried." She smiled down at him. "You don't remember me."

"No, ma'am." He sought assistance from the Kid.

"Heyes, this is Mrs. Rembacker, remember..."

Heyes eyes widened in shock. "How did… What…" He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and started again. "Sorry, I didn't recognize you, ma'am."

"Don't fret about it. It's been a long time. You just rest; you need to get your strength back. Jed come with me; let Heyes sleep."

The Kid smiled. "I'll be back, Heyes; get some sleep." He stood and left the room with Esther.

Bewildered, Heyes watched them leave but soon fell back asleep.

**~~~oOo~~~**

The Kid entered the room carrying a tray with soup for Heyes and several sandwiches as well as soup for himself.

"You awake yet? You've been asleep more than a day since we last spoke. If you're tryin' to catch up on your beauty sleep, gotta tell ya – it didn't work."

Heyes smiled. "Come on in."

"Think you can eat somethin'?"

"Yeah, I feel pretty hollow inside. How long's it been?"

"A few days," Curry answered while he set down the tray, helped Heyes sit up, and then set the tray on his lap with a bowl of soup on it. The Kid pulled up a chair and sat beside the bed where he could help Heyes if he needed it.

"Kid, how did we end up here?" Heyes asked.

"You were unconscious; the horse was done in; there was no town in sight, just this ranch house. I didn't think about where we were, just that I had to get you help. I sure was surprised when I recognized Mrs. Rembacker."

"So was I," Heyes agreed. "So who's living here now?"

"Well, there's Mr. and Mrs. Rembacker and Mr. Hotchkiss – his wife died last year. The Hotchkiss children are both grown. Joshua lives here with his wife, Emily, but they're visiting her family in San Antonio at the moment, and we'll be gone before they return. Clementine, the Hotchkiss girl, married an army officer and lives on some Fort with him. Then, there's the Rembacker girl, Bridget – she's still here. Oh and a couple of ranch hands, but they're in the far fields."

Heyes nodded. "Bridget, huh, how old is she now?"

"She must be seventeen or eighteen; I don't rightly know. She's gettin' married next spring – to the Deputy Sheriff."

"Oh."

"Yeah. Mr. Rembacker told her we used to live around here when we were young and not to worry her young man about us, but she's pretty wary of me."

Heyes looked narrowly at the Kid. "What aren't you telling me? Usually girls that age love you."

"I pulled a gun on Bridget," the Kid admitted sheepishly.

Heyes waited.

"She, Bridget, wasn't goin' to help us, and you needed help. I didn't know who she was. Mrs. Rembacker came in behind me with a shotgun," he finished.

Heyes just looked at him then nodded his acceptance.

"Anyway, Mrs. Rembacker seems fine with us being here. But Mr. Rembacker and Mr. Hotchkiss weren't too happy about it – I'm here only because Mrs. Rembacker insisted I stay with you. But now that you don't need me all the time, I've been helpin' out, and they seem a little more comfortable with it."

Heyes shrugged his shoulders then winced at the pain. "How long do we have? If we have to, I can leave tomorrow – tonight if it's really necessary. But if it's all the same to you, I'd kinda like to stay another day or two."

"Sure you can leave tomorrow." The Kid looked at him. "It's not up to me, but I think we can manage a few more days rest."

**~~~oOo~~~**

In the dawn light, John crept into the room, trying not to wake the two. Heyes was asleep under the quilts; the Kid was stretched out on top of the quilts next to him, snoring slightly.

John pulled open the drawer of the dresser, which squealed in protest. He heard a sudden sound behind him and looked around. The Kid was sitting up his gun in his hand, and Heyes was awake, wincing because he had moved his shoulder too quickly.

The Kid recognized John and restored the gun to the holster hanging on the bedpost. Heyes struggled to sit up, and the Kid turned to help him. Once he was up, he and the Kid regarded John who was still staring in surprise with his arms up.

"Sorry, Mr. Hotchkiss, you startled me," the Kid said sheepishly.

John lowered his arms and nodded, "Yeah, I can see I did, and I'd guess that's not a smart thing to do to someone with your reputation with a gun." The Kid colored and looked down.

"The Kid's skill with his gun has kept us alive more times than I can count, and he's good enough he doesn't have to shoot folks." Heyes spoke quickly. "I guess I'm in your bed; sorry to displace you," he continued, trying to lighten the atmosphere.

"Not a problem," John replied dryly. "It's good to sleep in a bunkhouse again; it reminds me how glad I am I own the ranch now, instead of just working it."

"Is that what you and Mr. Rembacker used to do, Mr. Hotchkiss? Before you met your wives, I mean," Heyes asked curiously.

"I think you're old enough to call us Nate and John." John smiled. "We did some - certainly spent a fair amount of time around cattle. We did a lot of different things; we roamed a lot, like you two have, I suspect," John answered, his brow lightening a little as he thought of those younger days. He reached into the drawer and pulled out the shirt he had come to get. "Well, I have to get to work. Jed, we'd appreciate some help."

"Of course, Mr. Hot… John," the Kid said, starting to get up.

"I'll see you outside." John left the two alone.

"Well that wasn't a very good start to the day," Heyes observed. Looking at the strain in the Kid's face, he laughed gently. "Don't worry, Kid. They know who we are and what we've done, and we're still here. I'll be fine, just need some sleep. Also, can you ask Mrs. Rembacker if she can find me a book or something?"

**~~~oOo~~~**

Heyes sat on the back porch, his arm in a sling and a book in his hand. He wasn't reading; he was looking out over the ranch. He could see the Kid working with Nate in a field with the horses, but he couldn't tell what they were doing. Bridget was weeding the large kitchen garden with her mother. He couldn't see John but could hear sounds coming from the barn, so he assumed John was there.

He closed his eyes.

When he opened them it was to the realization that Nate was leaning on the porch rail by him.

"Mr. Rembacker," he said, nodding his head.

"It's Nate. Joshua, you look better than last time I saw you."

"I should hope so. Mrs. Rembacker's care has been amazing."

"It's been a long time since you last sat on this porch, hasn't it?"

"Umm hmm, so many things have changed since then - not necessarily in ways we planned," Heyes acknowledged ruefully. "Bridget sure has grown. She's a beautiful young woman now. The… Thaddeus tells me she's getting married in the spring."

Nate acknowledged the change of topic with a brief smile. "Yes, we'll be sad to see her go, but he's a good man and will be good to her. She'll always be our baby, a sign that good can come even when things look dark."

The two stayed there watching the women work for a few minutes.

Nate spoke reflectively, "It's been a good life here. There were times when I thought we would never settle down, but then we met Ruth and Esther – seemed like we'd finally come home."

Heyes looked at him curiously. "You and John have been together for a while; are you family? We never knew."

"If you mean are we blood relatives, no, but we've been together fifty years or so – through good times and bad – so yeah, we're family."

Heyes nodded.

"You and Thaddeus are blood family, right? You two have been together your whole lives, haven't you?"

"We're cousins, grew up on neighboring farms. Like you two, we've been together through good and bad. We did separate though, for a while, a few years after we left here. We both realized it was a mistake and patched things up – been together ever since. Now we make our mistakes together."

"So you've made mistakes?"

Heyes laughed. "Oh, yeah. We've made some big ones, but I guess that's part of life."

Both men looked over the ranch, lost in their thoughts.

Finally, Heyes stood up and looked at Nate. "I guess I'm still pretty worn out. I think I'll go take a nap, if it's okay with you." He walked into the house.

Nate watched him go then walked out to help Bridget and Esther bring in some vegetables from the garden.

**~~~oOo~~~**

Two days later, Kid Curry looked up from where he had been stacking the wood he had just chopped and saw Heyes walk slowly out onto the back porch and stand there looking around. His arm was no longer in a sling and his face, though still pale, had some color to it. The Kid walked over to join him and looked at him closely.

"How you doin'?"

"I'm good." Heyes looked around. "That was a good winter, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, but times change. Are ya really okay? These are good people; we need to leave soon."

"I'm fine, Thaddeus, ready to go any time."

"I didn't check your pockets, ya got any money?"

"Why?"

"We have to buy you a horse, and other things. You lost everythin' you weren't wearin' in the river – all I found was your hat."

"Thanks."

"I know how much you like that ratty old thing."

They stood there contemplating the view.

"I thought I'd go see where they put Mrs. Hotchkiss to rest," Heyes finally said.

"I'll go with you."

"I'm perfectly capable of walking up that hill myself, you know."

"I know, but I should say good-bye too."

**~~~oOo~~~**

They stood looking down at Ruth Hotchkiss' grave.

"She was a good woman," the Kid commented, putting his hat back on.

"Aunt Ruth was, but how do you two know that, or her?"

They glanced at Bridget, who had walked up beside them.

"We used to live around these parts when we were younger. We knew her then. Your Ma and Aunt were good to us at a time when we needed it," Heyes explained.

Bridget looked at them. "I came to tell you that my fiancé usually comes home from church with us for Sunday dinner. That's tomorrow. He missed the last few weeks; there was a rumor some outlaws were in the area, and he was checking it out."

Heyes and the Kid looked at each other.

"It's a shame we'll miss him. We have to leave in the morning; some friends were expecting us a while ago," Heyes answered glibly.

"I thought so," said Bridget as she walked away.

**~~~oOo~~~**

Heyes and Kid Curry went in search of John and Nate, finding them behind the barn cleaning up before supper.

"We came to say we'll be leaving in the morning, before you all get back from church," Heyes stated.

John and Nate looked at them. "Probably for the best," John acknowledged. "Bridget's young man generally rides back with us. People would think it odd if he didn't tomorrow."

"Yes, so Bridget explained to us," Heyes admitted.

The Kid spoke up, "I don't suppose you have a horse and gear you'd be willin' to sell us? Or know anyone who might. The problem is we're kinda broke at the moment, so it can't be a very expensive horse."

John looked curiously at them. "You pay for your horses?"

"Of course," the Kid responded, his eyebrows raised in surprise.

"From the press accounts we've read, you two should have plenty of money – at least the banks and railroads seem to think so."

"Yeah, well," began Heyes, "you haven't read any stories about us in a while I suspect."

Nate responded slowly, "Now I come to think of it, it has been a while – going on a couple of years, I think."

"That would be about right." The Kid nodded.

"We retired, you might say, a couple of years ago. It's been a lot tougher to make money since then, and we never were very good at holding on to what we had even when we had anything to hold on to." Heyes explained.

"Retired, but you're still wanted?"

"Yes," Heyes affirmed. "We're hoping that folks will forget about us after a while, and we can have normal lives, but the ten thousand dollar rewards make that kind of tough." He indicated his shoulder.

"Thaddeus mentioned that reward; it's dead or alive, right?"

"It is," Heyes answered warily. "Why'd…"

"Well, he told us that if you didn't make it we should claim the reward on you."

"Gee, thanks." Heyes threw a sour look at the Kid, who grinned back at him.

"Dead or alive," John mused. "So if you get caught, you'll be hung?"

"No," Heyes explained. "The charge is armed robbery – carries a twenty year prison sentence, but it's not a hanging offense. If you've read the news stories about us, you should know that in all the trains and banks we've robbed, we never shot anyone. It's just that the railroads and banks are plenty mad at us and plenty powerful, so they added the dead or alive language."

"So you've never killed anyone - either of you." John stated looking at the Kid.

The Kid looked at him somberly. "He didn't say that."

Heyes rushed in. "When we've killed it's been in self-defense, and it hasn't been lawmen or innocent people. The Kid can usually draw before folks can reach their guns, and prevent any gunplay. Even if there is some, he'll shoot the gun out of their hand, or just graze them. But in our experience, sometimes some folks just want to kill, and then you better be ready to stop them, whatever it takes. He's not a killer, and neither am I."

"Um hmm," Nate murmured. "Well let's see if we can't find you a horse and saddle."

**~~~oOo~~~**

After supper, Nate sent Bridget firmly to bed then suggested that the rest sit by the fire for a while. Esther sat sewing, while John pulled out a bottle of whiskey and poured the four men each a drink.

"It's not polite around these parts to ask a man's background, but we know some of yours and we sure know what you've been doing some of the time since you left here," Nate began. "Also Esther said you talked some while your fever was high."

The Kid sighed and looked at Heyes. "I always said you had a big mouth when you had a bullet in you."

Heyes shot him a look.

"From what we've read about you in the papers, I gather you two come from Kansas?"

Heyes and the Kid looked warily at Nate. "We lived on farms outside of Lawrence."

John looked at Nate. "Quantrill, bloody Kansas." Esther looked up from her sewing for a moment, and then bent back over it.

"So after that you ended up on your own out here, and we met you."

"Yes," Heyes began, "and we appreciate all you did for us back then."

Esther spoke, "But you wouldn't stay."

"No, Ma'am," the Kid agreed.

John abruptly changed the subject, "Esther says you did a fine job removing the bullet, Thaddeus."

"It's not the first time I've removed a bullet from Joshua. He's not real good at duckin'."

Heyes narrowed his eyes. "I think I've probably removed more from you over the years. You're kinda clumsy, you know."

Nate and John smiled at each other as the partners traded barbs.

There was silence as the men drank their whiskey and Esther continued her hemming.

John and Nate looked at each other then Nate resumed, "We should tell you, Thaddeus, we overheard you talking to your horse that first night."

The Kid paled slightly; Heyes looked at them inquiringly.

"Is there really a chance the Governor will give you two amnesty?"

Heyes looked at the Kid, who looked at Heyes. Heyes answered, "If we had a deal with the Governor, it'd be a secret, and we wouldn't be able to discuss it. Let's just say, we're hoping that if we can stay out of trouble and out of jail long enough, we might be able to make some arrangement."

"I see."

They sat for a few moments contemplating what had and hadn't been said.

John turned to them. "We were very disappointed when we first saw the news reports of your robberies."

Both Heyes and the Kid looked uncomfortable and studied their boots.

Esther put aside her sewing and looked up. "John Hotchkiss and Nate Rembacker, you both know men can change. Why look at yourselves."

Now Nate and John looked embarrassed; Heyes and the Kid glanced up intrigued.

Nate finally spoke, "That's enough, Esther. Yes, boys, John and I made a few mistakes in our youth, rustled cattle for a while - spent some time in jail for that."

John took up the tale. "Then we got caught in a range war - that sobered us. We got out of there fast and never looked back."

Nate resumed, "All that's long behind us. We were never big or had reputations like you two, and the statute of limitations ran a long time ago on anything we might have done. But we do know it is possible to turn your life around if you really want to, and we hope you two boys succeed."

Heyes said, "We intend to."

"We will," the Kid affirmed.

Esther smiled at them in approval.

Heyes stood. "Well, we need to rest if we're leaving in the morning." He nodded and walked down the hall to bed. The Kid nodded and followed him.

**~~~oOo~~~**

Heyes and the Kid tacked up quietly in the early morning light, the Kid doing most of the work to allow Heyes to rest his shoulder. During their time here, Esther had given Heyes two new shirts she had made and an altered pair of Nate's pants. The previous day, John had given him his old saddlebags, and Nate had given him a bedroll.

Nate walked up. "Not waiting for breakfast?"

"We thought it best we leave quietly and not disrupt your lives anymore," the Kid explained.

"Esther thinks you should stay a few more days; Bridget's young man can wait to visit."

"Every day we stay puts you in danger," the Kid murmured.

"I'm fine, and we'll be leaving shortly," Heyes answered.

"Esther will not forgive me if you don't have some breakfast at least."

Heyes and the Kid looked at each other; the Kid raised an eyebrow. Heyes smiled at Nate. "Well, Thaddeus does place a lot of importance on breakfast. We'll be right there."

After breakfast, Esther, John, and Nate watched Heyes and the Kid mount up. When everything had been packed and they were mounted, they looked at Nate, John, and Esther.

"We can't thank you enough for all you've done for us," Heyes stated.

"We won't forget it," the Kid affirmed.

John spoke, "We wish you luck, and, if you get your amnesty, we hope that you will come visit."

Nate added, "Until then, if you find yourselves in desperate need again, you can come here as long as you have not broken the law anew."

Heyes and the Kid stared at the two men, then at Esther who nodded her head and smiled. Finally, they smiled back, nodded in appreciation, and turned their horses down the road, lifting their hats in farewell.


End file.
